Wichita eagle., 1887-07-29
THE oDloUsNEss OF TROUSERS.
They Reveal Inequality of Wealth.
Plea for Knee Breeches

They Reveal Inequality of Wealth-A
Plea for Knee Brooches.
No article of clothing more distinctly re-
veals the condition Of a mans purse than the
trousers. The fraying at the lower edge Of
the leg, which is sure to come with much
wear, is generally taken as sign of very mar
row means, and the bagging at the knee,
which is also inevitable, besides producing a
foundered appearance, like that of horse
which is gone" in the forelegs, is a sign that
man has only one or two pairs. 1t is as
sumed by the world generally that nobody
would wear trousers bagged at the knee, with
all the term applies, if he could afford the
number of changes necessary to prevent this
phenomenon. In fact, almost the only
marked difference remaining in our day be
tween the clothes of man of fortune and
leisure and those of toiler of moderate
means lies in the straightness and smooth
ness which mark the trousers legs of the
former. His wardrobe always contains a
great many pairs. At any theatre, too, the
makeup OF poor teacher or literary man, OF
poor devil of any kind, includes invariably a
pair of baggy trousers.
And though last not least, the condition of
the trousers in muddy weather is something
which 1t is painful to dwell on, the CONVEX
sion OF an inch or two of the bottom into a
wet and filthy band is only preventable by
turning them up, and we all know how this
looks. An effort has recently been made to
meet the struggles of men of few trousers to
escape the bagging at the knee by an inven-
ton OF a machine called "the trousers
stretcher," which is literally metal rack on
which nffanAinor
night, and the deformity effaced by a power
ful tension in the direction of their length. 1t
may, therefore, be said that on the whole the
knee breeches were the more democratic Of
the two. They undergo no degeneration in
wear, except what comes from the actual de-
struction of the cloth. They reveal nothing
as TO the condition of q mans wardrobe until
they reach their last stage They always
look neat and tidy, and do not come in con-
tact with the mud, leaving that to be en-.
countered by boot or stocking which can
be readily changed. But they are in summer
a hot garment, owing to their fitting so
closely around the knee-a defect. however.
which is perhaps compensated by the posi-
bility, without damage to appearance, of
making them very loose.
They are, too, now making gallant effort
to regain their old supremacy and GUST the
trousers. They have made conquests of most
OF the sporting men and athletes. and have
made considerable gains in the continental
armies. The Turks, who abandoned them
under Mahmoud, the refermer, for the ION
them) hideous trousers, have gone back to the
breeches. Some faint attempts have been
made to introduce them again into evening
dress, but these have failed, owing in part to
the light and frivolous character of those who
have made them. If undertaken in serious
spirit by any of the crowned heads, or by
great warriors and statesmen, or in this coun-
try by great railroad men or stock operators
the enterprise would probably eed-New
York Post.